


The Cave

by Hestia



Series: Witcher headcanons and shorts [1]
Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia Uses His Words, Hurt/confort, M/M, Post-Episode: S01E06 Rare Species, hugs are happening
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2020-07-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:21:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25596451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hestia/pseuds/Hestia
Summary: Jaskier accidentally stumbles upon Geralt in a cave after the Mountain and Geralt use the opportunity (and Roach) to fix his mistakes.Part of a series but each work can be read independently.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Series: Witcher headcanons and shorts [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1769020
Comments: 8
Kudos: 193





	The Cave

Jaskier had imagined meeting Geralt again after the mountain a lot of times. A cave in the middle of nowhere wasn’t part of the scenarios he had conjured up in his mind thought. But then again, it was his own fault for being so close to Morhen valley before the winter. Geralt was probably on his way back to the Keep.  
They meet when Jaskier comes barging into the cave Geralt and Roach settled in, to protect themselves against the storm raging outside. Jaskier already had a bad day before finding Geralt but now it’s late and he's soaking wet and it's the only place that looked dry for miles and he doesn’t have a choice. Winter had started to settle early this far north and not only was the storm pretty violent but the rain was freezing as well. The dark clouds had been menacing to burst all afternoon and he had meant to stay another night in the village to wait it out. But he had to leave in a hurry (he didn’t think the baker and the baker’s wife would find out he slept with both of them on separate occasions) and the storm had caught up to him.

And he thought he was over it. He really did. It’s been months, but apparently he's not prepared. Geralt's head snaps up when Jaskier enters the cave and they eyes lock. They both stay still for an awkward minute. Geralt's hands hovering over the sword in his laps he was cleaning, Jaskier a hand against the wall of the cave.  
Roach huffs and it seems to put them in motion. Geralt stands, ready to speak but Jaskier cuts in before he has time to say anything.

"I'm gonna change, I'm soaking wet. I'll leave when it stops raining", he says without really looking at Geralt. He puts his pack near the fire as far as he can from the Witcher and changes without another word. Geralt sits back down, not knowing what to do. He knows he fucked up but he wasn’t expecting to see Jaskier ever again. He wants to tell Jaskier to stay but he doesn’t know how to speak anymore. So he just starts taking care of his swords again and pretends that he’s not looking at Jaskier while he’s changing or when he’s trying to find a place to spread his clothes so they will dry at least a little. He doesn’t react at all when Jaskier makes a pleasing noise when he discovers the rest of his pack didn’t get soaked as well, at least not enough to damage his notebook or his lute. Jaskier settles near the fire and they pretend no to see the hurt looks they both give each other every time their eyes catch.  
Jaskier writes for a few minutes in his book but can’t stay still for very long. Geralt watch him get up and wordlessly give a scratch on the noise to Roach before walking toward the entrance. For a second, Geralt is afraid Jaskier will walk out into the rain again, preferring to leave everything behind than stay a night stuck with him. But Jaskier stops right at the mouth of the cave and leans against the wall, arms and ankles crossed and just looks outside.  
He doesn’t feel like writing right now and especially not like singing or even just playing. There’s too much on his mind and he needs to calm himself down. Looking outside at the rain always helped. There’s a melancholy settling over him and watching the lightning illuminate the sky makes him feel better. Geralt stops cleaning his swords and there are no sounds now apart from the rain, the cracking of the fire and the thunder. It feels good for a while.

Geralt watches Jaskier for a moment. The bard is quieter and more still than he has ever seen him before. It doesn’t feel wrong exactly but Jaskier seems different now. All Geralt can think about is how lonely he’s been without Jaskier and how he hate that ball in his stomach that appeared as soon as he thought Jaskier was leaving again. He needs to apologies, to explain but how can he? He’s never been good with that sort of things. Roach huffs again and catches his attention. He’s never been good with Jaskier or with Yen for that matter, but he’s always been good at talking with Roach. He grabs her brush and goes to her, working quietly on untangling her hair for a minute. That brought him closer to the entrance, but Jaskier hasn’t moved away from him so he thinks that’s a good sign.

“You know Roach, I don’t think I ever told you about my best friend”, he says and even with his back turned he can feel Jaskier tense but stay quiet. “Most people are afraid of me. They tolerate me because they need me. I can’t blame them, for hating me after what I did.” He pauses for a moment, catching a whiff of smell front the entrance. Jaskier already smelled sad but he always had a distinctive sour and sad odour every time Blaviken is mentioned. Geralt is not sure why he wasn’t involved in any of it after all but Jaskier always seemed… affected by that more than other things. He sighs. “I fucked up a lot of things Roach. That day, I made a mess for all the Witchers, not just me. And I fucked up things in Cintra and with Yen and Renfri and there’s not a lot of things I can fix but I’m trying.” In the corner of his eye, he can see Jaskier is paying attention more closely now. “And the thing is, I’ve been an asshole to a lot of people because I thought it would be easier if I was all alone? I wouldn’t have to wonder what they want from me. It’s easier to be on your own.” Roach pushes her head against his shoulder and throws a hoof against the floor impatiently. “Don’t judge me, Yen doesn’t count, that one is complicated and I did what I could to save her. Badly alright but I didn’t mean to do that to her… or me. I fucked things up but it’s… dammit, that’s not what I’m trying to say, don’t interrupt me.”  
At the entrance of the cave, Jaskier smiles slightly at that but doesn’t turn.

“What I’m trying to explain“, Geralt says after a pause, trying to order his thoughts again, “is that I was wrong. It wasn’t easier alone. In fact, I wasn’t alone for a long time before I fucked up again. Because there was this man who saw me in a tavern and thought it would be a grand idea to attach himself to me and follow me. He thought my life was a beautiful adventure, even the gross parts of it. There was this man who saw me and decided to follow me without even a thought he could be hurt in the process. Or despite that, I think. All my life I’ve only known people who needed me to be something they could use. Vesemir, Eskel and Lambert, they stuck by me but they are Witchers too who got forced into this life just like me. I never had someone who chose me just because they could. Who came to talk to me before they knew who I was and stayed anyway. Who was delighted by what I am and never scared at all. I never had someone in my life who loved me for me... Before I met him.”

When Geralt turns around, Jaskier I already watching him. Geralt keeps on petting Roach, keeping her head between them but not pretending he’s brushing her anymore and Jaskier waits. “You see Roach, I really fucked up. I was angry and scared and I needed to know he would stay no matter what. He’s always been there even when I was awful to him and right then I needed to know I wasn’t the worst version of myself I have ever been. The monster that wasn’t worth following anymore. I needed to know that I was still worth choosing.” Geralt’s eyes drop to the floor, not ready to see Jaskier’s reaction just yet. It doesn’t take long for Jaskier to answer softly.  
“I’m sorry I left.”  
“I’m sorry I was awful to you”, Geralt echos.  
“My timing was not the best. You were hurting and I shouldn’t have tried to make that situation less awkward.”  
“Maybe not but I shouldn’t have yell anyway. I was unfair to you.”

Jaskier comes to him then and engulfs Geralt in a big warm hug.  
“What’s…”  
“Don’t fight it. You own me at least this. Please” Jaskier adds quietly.  
“Alright.”  
Jaskier hugs him for a while, and Geralt hugs back. It feels nice, he hasn’t been hugged in a really long time, he forgot how intimate it feels.  
“What I said...”, Geralt whispers “I lied. I just needed to hurt you.”  
“I know”, Jaskier answers back. “I wish I had stayed anyway.”  
“I think it’s good you didn’t. I needed that. I’m sorry it took me a while to understand.”  
“I’m sorry too.” Geralt doesn’t know if Jaskier is apologising for having poor timing, or if he’s sorry that Geralt was such an ass but either way, they both seem to regret what happened and it’s what’s important. Roach interrupts them by pushing them away with her rear, not happy to have two people in her space. Jaskier laughs quietly but releases Geralt.  
“Thanks, Roach”, Geralt answers.

They settle near the fire, Geralt listening to Jaskier playing the lute while he looks after his armour, like they use to before the mountain. There’s still a sense of uneasiness between them but they both know they can make it work again if they want to. Jaskier moves from the other side of the fire at some point and they sleep next to each other that night, like always. The next morning, when the snow has replaced the rain in the sky and they are ready to leave Geralt asks.  
“Where are you headed?”  
“Not sure. I wanted to travel back to Oxenfurt, but it looks like the snow’s not going to stop soon. I didn’t think winter would be here so soon. Maybe I could head back to Posada, wait until spring to catch you there? Just like old times”, he adds timidly but hopeful.  
“Come home with me”, Geralt practically demands.  
“Home?” Jaskier knows what Geralt means but he needs to hear the words.  
“To Kaer Morhen. We have a lot of catching up to do. You can tell me what you did after...after you left”, he says awkwardly “and meet Vesemir, Eskel and Lambert. You’ll like them. Well maybe not Lambert, he’s a prick… Hum, “Geralt thinks for a second, a strange glee that Jaskier has never seen showing in his eyes” … actually, you’ll annoy the shit out of him, it’ll be perfect”. Geralt leaves the cave, Roach by his side and Jaskier follows him after a second, a big hopeful smile on his lips. Maybe they can make this work again.  
“Oh, delightful! Please tell me everything. I need ammunition before I meet this Lambert!”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for choosing to read my work!
> 
> While written way after, this is meant as a prequel set directly before the next short story in this series called "The Path". Warning if you want to read the next one, The Path as mentions of blood. I want to write a third companion piece cause The Path wasn't very happy and I want a happy ending.
> 
> If however, you prefer to read something happier now, I could suggest "Petals" for very fluffy feels or "Paper Skin" for silliness (you can find both in this series)


End file.
